I don’t wish to rub this in for readers following this in the UK, but today was another dry day – but right at the top of my weather condition wish-list, warm and overcast too. No need to try to keep my hat from being blown off, or apply sun cream. However there was to be one fly in the proverbial ointment. On getting out of the shower, in the communal bathroom, I discovered that the small neat bag was not my travel towel, but my blow up pillow.

After breakfast at the Abbey Guesthouse, I struck out at 8.30am, with my wet pyjama top safely stowed. I stopped for one last time to look at the Abbaye de Notre Dame du Wisques. It is enormous and clearly well looked after, amazing that it is home to just 20 sisters, but their welcome and hospitality was a foretaste of heaven and a credit to the Rule of St Benedict.

Again today, I was following a shortened route, recommended by the Lightfoot Guide. The routes and official stages often bear little resemblance to available accommodation and would make completing the whole Via Francigena to those who live outside the Schengen Zone very difficult. However I left Wisques on the official route, walking down into the valley of the River Aa, crossing the river at Esquerdes. This river, which appears to be trying to be the first listed river in a fluvial version of the Yellow Pages, drains much of the St Omer marshes. In the same way that so many English and Welsh rivers are called Avon (simply meaning “river”), I imagine in the case of the Aa some cartographer having the misfortune to ask the deafest inhabitant in the village what the river is known as.

Sadly, despite working on that joke for several miles, I neglected to take a picture of the River Aa, so here is an example of a stretch of well constructed footpath to allow the VF to traverse a woodland down a hill.

And before we move away from cartographers altogether, this is the route I took today. Only the last 2km into Thérouanne was along a busy road.

This route had several advantages: I was able to get to Thérouanne today instead of tomorrow – indeed by lunchtime; but I was also able to walk the Chaussée Brunehut between Bientques and Thérouanne. This is one of several sections of Roman roads named after the Queen Brunhilda.

This Brunhilda was a Visigothic princess who became queen of the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia, and was one of the most powerful rulers of the late sixth and early seventh century. She became the heroine of many sagas and it is now difficult to see behind the legend and find out whether she really had something to do with the streets now named after her, but its not impossible that she had them repaired.

Anyhoo, I reached Thérouanne at around 11.45 and found the Museum of Archeology where a very friendly lady provided a stamp for my credential and a little wooden disc. I don’t really know what the latter was for, but I have kept it in case it is some sort of mystery pilgrim token that I might be asked for at a later date. I rather liked the design of the building too!

By now, I knew that it was boulangerie time. I thought I might treat myself to a small tartalette as well as a baguette. Walking through the town from north to south, there appeared to be many options of buying John Deere products – from tractors to lawnmowers, but it was only when I had started to panic and think I might have to speak to someone, that the bakery appeared on the distant horizon.

At this juncture, I would like to talk a little about sitting down and bus stops. Sitting down is something us pilgrims really like to do when we eat – I’m sure you do too, but so far, I’ve had three conversations with three different pilgrims about the lack of places to sit and eat lunch.  Now: bus stops. I could see one a little way ahead, and prepared myself for that really awkward experience of trying to sit… or rather perch, while at the same time cutting and filling my baguette, managing to drink and generally doing all the admin I like to do while sitting down.

My joy was unbridled when I discovered that I was not to be provided with a seat no wider or more comfortable than a ballet barre, but instead a proper bench. A bench of proper height and width and depth. It seems that in this country (France), the authorities trust people to sit down and not cause a nuisance, rather than in Great Britain where the thought that adequate bench provision is tantamount to inviting myriad forms of anti-social behaviour.

Sorry, I became a little heated there. To cut a long story short, I had a very pleasant lunch, consuming an entire cheese that I had carefully matured in my bag since Calais. Frankly I thought if I left it another day it would get out and walk with me, or at the least prevent me from ever finding further civilised accommodation. (I also ate a tartalette framboise, which I would like to point out contained lots of fruit!).

My accommodation for the evening, was not available until 5.30pm, so I was in no hurry to cover the last 8km to Liettres. I could loaf once again. My pace does slacken in the afternoon anyway, but this leeway meant I could try to sort out the accommodation for the next two nights.

The sun came out, and it dawned on me that, with the southerly wind, it was, what my grandmother would have described as “a good drying day.” Around 3km out of Liettres, near the village of Blessy, the route is diverted around a quarry. This gave a three hundred yard east-west stretch of shelter from the wind – a proper little sun trap. However I noticed that there was still a good wind running through a metal mesh fence. Well: what would any self-respecting washerman do in those circumstances. Out came the smalls which hadn’t completely dried the night before and I had another chill while they dried out.

For those of a nervous disposition, I would like to point out that this photo was carefully framed so as to avoid showing the vicar’s pants.

Liettres was just a stones throw away now. I arrived at Les Chambres du Relais in the village and was met by David, my host for the evening. he gave me the tour of the accommodation (which was excellent, and very reasonably priced to credential carrying pilgrims). He explained a little of the history of the house and its link with the nearby chateau. Indeed he even told me that an international cricket match had been held at the castle in 1472. This morsel is out for independent fact checking!

And so, as I come to the end of another day, I’ve had to bring in more washing as the most terrific thunderstorm has broken out. And yet, it is forecast to be dry again tomorrow. Praise be to God!

(The best lightning shot I could manage: this scene is otherwise pitch black!).